Neo-Liberal Restructuring of the State: Progress Will Only be Made Through Political Arrangements that Recognize the Peoples Right to Decide - Forum ouvrier - The neo-liberal offensive being imposed in Quebec will have serious consequences. Far from solving an alleged crisis in public finances, the neo-liberal offensive and its accompanying structural reforms has the aim to recognize monopoly right and destroy the arrangements based on public right. The so-called budgetary crisis has become the permanent pretext to facilitate the massive transfer of wealth created by the working class to the financial oligarchy, and the usurpation and concentration of political power in their hands. Opposition to the austerity agenda continues to grow. The workers are demanding that new arrangements be established on the basis of the recognition of their rights, not their negation. The problems facing the society will not be settled by invoking a financial crisis to deny rights. The anti-social austerity agenda has been the official policy for 20 years and has only made the situation worse. Workers need modern political arrangements that empower them. They are willing to take up the responsibility of charting a new direction for Quebec. The various collectives opposing the direction being taken by the new Liberal government -- municipal employees, health care workers, students and others -- have an abundance of ideas and solutions to the problems. Instead of giving these solutions proper consideration, the Liberals only care about the measures proposed by the financial oligarchy and its ruling circle. They propose bills aimed at giving decision-making power to a few individuals who are currently setting up a new United States of North American monopolies. This is why the government wants to pass Bill 10 to reorganize the health care system. The bill centralizes power in the hands of the Health Minister so he can more easily promote the interests of the pharmaceutical companies and private businesses that deliver health care services. Similarly Bill 15, concerning workforce management within government departments, will concentrate power in the hands of the President of the Treasury Board so he can pass regulations as he sees fit. Bill 3, concerning pension plans for municipal employees, will give more flexibility to the mayors of major cities, in particular Montreal and Quebec City, to privatize municipal services. Following the November 2 school board elections, the Premier wants to undertake fundamental changes that will affect how decisions are taken in education. Again the reason is to privatize the delivery of educational services paid for by the public purse. There is also Philippe Couillards eagerness to support the war government of Stephen Harper and his new laws that give even more power to the police and intelligence services. Not to mention that Couillard seems to be taking his cue from the almost dictatorial powers of the Prime Ministers Office. The political equation is simple: the more the Liberals concentrate power in their hands, the more the workers movement and workers defence organizations come under attack. The negation of civil rights becomes the new political norm. The new era that lies ahead requires serious deliberation by the working class and people about what is going on, so that governments are not able to deprive us of the political power which is ours by right, the right to determine our future. While we continue to reject the neo-liberal program of paying the rich, the working class and people must discuss and organize for democratic renewal in a practical way. Forum ouvrier calls on all workers to think seriously about these developments. For us, our security lies in our fight for the rights of all. The fraud used by governments to justify decisions that promote private monopoly interests must be rejected. The dangerous legal framework to suspend civil rights must not pass. Our humanity will flourish through the affirmation of the rights of all, not their negation. (Translated from original French by Chantier politique.) pmlq.qc.ca/CPE2014/CP0104.HTM#1
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 00:49:05 +0000
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